Explore the Great Outdoors with Indigenous Guides 

The USA is home to a diverse and visually stunning landscape, and many of the most scenic spots are located on the ancient, ancestral lands of Indigenous peoples. On your next trip to these iconic outdoors destinations, find a local Native guide for a more fulfilling, informative and meaningful experience.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona 

Deep within Arizona‘s Navajo Nation, red sandstone walls and natural spires rise hundreds of meters from the floor of Canyon de Chelly. The canyon has been continuously occupied for almost 5,000 years, and Navajo families still live and farm on the canyon’s floor today. The monument also preserves the ruins of Ancestral Pueblos and is home to Spider Rock. This sandstone spire is geologically significant and sacred to the Navajo, revered as the home of the “Spider Woman” who taught the Navajo the art of weaving. 

Managed in partnership by the Navajo Nation and the U.S. National Park Service, it is the only national monument located entirely on Navajo Tribal Land. Visitors can view the canyon from North or South Rim Drive. But travel into the canyon by vehicle, horseback or hiking is only permitted with a local Navajo guide who offer a respectful, in-depth understanding of the canyon and help you spot ancient ruins and petroglyphs. Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation keeps an updated list of tour operators with options including Canyon De Chelly Tours and Tseyi Jeep Tour. To really immerse yourself in Canyon de Chelly, Spider Rock Campground offers accommodations in Navajo hogans, traditional earth-sheltered dwellings designed to blend into the natural landscape. 

Antelope Canyon, Arizona

The smooth, wave-like sandstone walls of Arizona’s Antelope Canyon –  famous for changing colors, from orange to red to purple, depending on the time of day – were formed by flash floods over thousands of years. From March to October, sunlight hitting the canyon floor creates dramatic light beams adding even more enchantment to this geological masterpiece – and you can only see it with a Navajo guide. The Navajo consider this a sacred, spiritual site created by deities for reflection and connection to nature. Guides share traditional stories and the Navajo perspective of the canyon as a place where the physical and spiritual worlds meet. They also ensure visitors remain safe from flash-flood risks and comply with environmental regulations. Two tour guide options include Adventurous Antelope Canyon Photo Tours, Navajo-owned and specializing in photography-focused tours of the upper canyon, and Dixie’s Lower Antelope Canyon Tours, founded by a local Navajo woman. 

Blackfeet Indian Reservation, Montana

Bordered by Canada and Montana‘s Glacier National Park, the Blackfeet Indian Reservation lies along the Rocky Mountains’ eastern slopes. The vast landscape ranges from prairies to mountains and is home to wildlife like grizzly bears, wolves and ferrets. The reservation is the hub of Blackfeet culture, and touring the area with a Blackfeet guide is essential for an authentic experience. Guides provide insight into tribal stories, histories and customs and allow access to otherwise off-limits areas. Guides also provide information on local wildlife, plants and medicine available from the land. Blackfeet Tours/Blackfeet Outfitters is Native-owned and offers Jeep tours, family-friendly tours, fly-fishing expeditions and multi-day backcountry trips. Sun Tours is Blackfeet-owned and provides interpretive tours of Glacier National Park from a Blackfeet cultural perspective. 

Grand Portage National Monument, Minnesota

Set against a backdrop of Lake Superior’s scenic northern shore, Grand Portage National Monument in Minnesota was the first national park co-managed with a tribal nation. The Ojibwe people have called this land home for centuries, and the park preserves the historic Gichi Oigaming portage trail. This trail has been used by the area’s inhabitants to navigate the land’s waterways for centuries, including during the 18th-century fur trade. Exploring the park with a Native guide provides an authentic cultural perspective, a deeper understanding of the legacy of the land and insight into its geographical features. Ranger-led tours are available through the park, and many of the rangers are affiliated with the local Ojibwe community. The Heritage Center has exhibits curated by local Indigenous people that provide in-depth knowledge about Ojibwe history and culture. 

The Everglades, Florida

Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park and other state and national park lands protect a vast portion of the famed Florida Everglades. This low-lying ecosystem contains a mix of tropical and temperate plants like cypress swamps and mangroves. It is also a wildlife habitat for more 190 species of birds and 51 species of reptiles as well as panthers, bobcats and black bears. The Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Big Cypress Reservation is also located in the heart of this wilderness. Local tour guides provide an in-depth understanding of the swamp’s ecosystem, including what plants can be used for medicine and identifying the habitats of wildlife like panthers and alligators. The Seminole Tribe offers tours of the region from the Big Cypress Reservation, including airboat rides and swamp buggy tours. 

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Glacier Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the world’s largest protected ecosystems. The nutrient-rich waters are home to whales, seals and otters, while brown bears, mountain goats and moose roam the land. Here, you can see stunning fjords and active tidewater glaciers that reach into the sea. The bay is also the ancestral homeland of the Huna Tlingit people. Exploring the area with an Alaska Native guide provides a unique perspective of the abundant plant and animal life as well as first-hand accounts of Tlingit history, stories and songs. Alaskan Dream Cruises is Native-owned and offers ship-based excursions for viewing wildlife like whales, eagles and bears as well as glaciers.

Redwood National and State Parks, California

This UNESCO World Heritage Site protects almost half of the world’s remaining old-growth coastal redwoods. The tallest trees in the world, redwoods can live for up to 2,000 years. In addition to the majestic trees, the California parks protect rocky beaches, prairies and fern-covered canyons. For thousands of years, the area has been home to Indigenous peoples, including the Yurok, Karuk, Tolowa and Sinkyone. The trees hold both spiritual and practical importance for these tribes, and finding a Native guide will give valuable insight into how they have stewarded these lands for centuries. Yurok guides offer immersive cultural experiences like canoe tours and guided hikes.